Imprisonment
by Captain Ryder
Summary: After being rejected by Rumplestiltskin, Belle set out to see the world. Unfortunately, the Queen caught her first. Shows her life between her capture and the curse being activated. Belle x Huntsman friendship; Belle x Rumplestiltskin overtone
1. Chapter 1

**Imprisonment**

Synopsis: _After being rejected by Rumplestiltskin, Belle set out to see the world. Unfortunately, the Queen caught her first. Takes place between the time of her capture and the curse being activated. Belle x Huntsman friendship_

AN: The idea for this story came many episodes ago, so I didn't include much of anything new. It is written in its entirety, and I will update the new chapter every week. Enjoy!

_Chapter 1 _

What are the ways of getting over a broken heart? Well, there was drinking until the pain was forgotten; trying to start over with someone new; crying or doing everything in your power to get them back, or simply moving on.

Belle contemplated all of these as she sat by herself in the little pub, in an equally little town. This was not the town near the dark castle. After Rumplestiltskin told her to leave, Belle had walked for days, unaware of the passage of time or her own fatigue. All she could feel was the pain in her broken heart and dry eyes that she hadn't allowed to cry.

She had finally collapsed from exhaustion in this small, provincial, town, and someone had taken her to the local inn. When she woke up, at first she was terrified. She didn't know where she was, except that it wasn't her room at the dark castle. And then she had remembered. But she didn't cry; it had been his choice, his mistake, and she wasn't going to cry over him. But she didn't know what she was going to do now.

So she spent the next few days at the inn, helping out where she could, and spending the rest of her time sitting alone, often with a mug. She liked the work; it helped to take her mind off of things. And the drink helped to dull the pain sometimes. She had begun to think that maybe, just maybe, she could go back to a normal life when she had met the dwarf.

All eight of them had been sitting at a table, laughing and having a good time. All but one, who was staring off into the distance, looking dazed.

Eavesdropping slightly, she had listened in on his and another ones conversation. From the few minutes that she heard, she knew that the dwarf was in love, and he had it bad. She said as much when she butted into the conversation.

They had talked for just a few minutes. She was happy to see someone else so much in love (and oblivious to it), but at the same time it hurt a little. She had laughed at how he couldn't see an invitation that was right before his eyes. She advised him to go to the one he loved, because as she said, sometimes love didn't last forever.

The dwarf smiled and thanked her, and then he ran off to go find his love. Belle had smiled as he left, but the pain was stronger in her chest again. She leaned back and decided to not think about it, instead she was going to think about what she was going to do now.

A large part of her wanted to storm back to the castle and yell at Rumplestiltskin some more, maybe hit him, maybe even kiss him again. But her for the most part, hear head and heart were telling her to leave; to get away from her pain.

This is the situation that had led up to Belle thinking of ways to cure a broken heart. Unlike the dwarf, her love couldn't let himself want her. What was she supposed to do? After a while, she decided that the only thing she could do was to move on with her life. She didn't want to return home, to Gaston, where she would spend the rest of her life in one place. She wanted to travel and see the world. At least Rumplestiltskin had given her the freedom to do that.

So, Belle set out on her journey to see the world, even though she had no idea where to start. She set off down the road, opposite to the direction that she had come down just a few days before.

She had been walking for a few hours, and was now alone in the woods. Her head snapped around as she heard the sounds of a carriage coming from around a bend. She had a bad feeling about the noise, and was preparing to run if she needed to. And she did need to.

A black carriage rounded the corner, the carriage of the queen. Belle had heard a few whispered stories about the queen, none of them good. She wished she had known who the woman was the first time they had met. She also knew that the carriage appearing then, as it was now, was not a coincidence. The queen wanted something from her again, and this time it wouldn't be a chat.

Belle began to run as fast as she could. She darted into the cover of the trees, hoping uselessly that she could escape the queen. But she knew the powers of magic, had lived around it for months even, and knew that there was no real hope of escape.

Her fears were confirmed when the cold tree roots grabbed her feet, bringing her crashing onto the ground. The roots quickly squirmed up her body and tightened like ropes. The queen stood on a small hill looking down at her and laughing.

"Is that anyways to treat an old friend? I try to help you and you repay me by running away?" She asked with faked emotion. All Belle could do was glare. The queen smirked.

"With you being here, I suppose that means that you failed. It is a pity. It was such a brilliant plan, especially since you really are in love with him, though I don't see why." The queen mocked. "Oh well, I guess your usefulness is over." With a flick of her hand, the roots began to tighten, cutting off Belle's air. The queen watched with sadistic glee as Belle began to panic, struggling to breath.

Black dots began to swim in her vision. So much for seeing the world, she thought ruefully. As her vision faded to black, she thought she hear the Queen say something.

"Although, maybe you could still be useful to me."


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: Thanks for all the hits and such. I decided I couldn't leave you guys with just one chapter a week, so now I'll update every Monday and Friday. Sound good?_

_I forgot to do the disclaimer stuff in the first bit, so here goes: Once Upon a Time, and its portrayals of fairy tales are not mine. But if I ever met a certain deal maker, that may well change. *Evil Smirk*_

_Chapter 2_

Belle snapped open her eyes, surprised that she still could. She was surrounded by dark stone, not the trees and earth that her brain told her should be there. She took a moment to let her memories catch up with her, and then slowly sat up, making sure she was still in one piece. Why did the Queen let her live? The many possible answers sent a shiver down her spine. Well, the first obligation of a prisoner was escape, so she began to examine her new prison.

It was made of smooth dark stone, placed seamlessly together as if it had formed in this way naturally. The one wall had a window in the top, though it was covered by metal. The door to the prison was also a metal grid, with no visible means of opening or lifting. There was a barrier between her cell and the one next to it, but it was dark and she could only see a little ways into it. She tugged at the bars, even though she knew that it was useless. Even if there had been a physical weakness in her prison, she would not be getting out. The magic was too strong for that.

After living with Rumplestiltskin for a few months, Belle had gotten used to the feel and presence of magic. His had permeated every inch of the Dark Castle, and it had become normal, sometimes even a comfort to her. But this magic was different; it was colder, filled with greater rage and despair, if that was possible. Whosevers it was, they were an evil person, consumed by grief. Belle couldn't help but be glad that she knew at least one thing for sure about the Queen now.

Belle looked out from doorway, seeing how far she could see out of it. The hallway on both ends turned a corner rather abruptly, letting her see only a little ways. What was odd though was a giant mirror on the one end. She crossed the room, and stood on tip toes to look out the window. She was high up in whatever fortress this was. She couldn't see the land below her, though she did have a great view of the mountains.

She then turned her attentions to what was inside her cell, which wasn't much. Unlike the dungeons in the Dark Castle which had a small bed, here there was only a pile of dirty straw. She kicked it with her feet a few times, making sure there were no rodents in it before she sat down. She picked up a piece of straw, twirling it between her fingers, and gave a small chuckle.

"What's funny?" an accented voice asked, making Belle jump. It had come from the opposite cell, but whoever was in there was too far back for her to see.

"Hello? Who's there?" she asked into the darkness. There was a slight shuffling noise, and then a man came into view. He was not dressed as a prisoner, but was instead wearing good quality black leather. He had slightly curly hair, and a beard. What Belle noted the most though was the haunted, vacant look his eyes had, evident even across a distance.

"I asked what was funny." He repeated, "Most people don't take becoming a prisoner as calmly as you, let alone laugh."

Belle smiled at the other prisoner, who gave her the odd impression of a wild animal that would dart away with to sudden a movement.

"I was just thinking that not everyone would see this straw the same way. To someone, it could be gold." she said.

The man didn't say anything, and just blinked at her odd answer. He shook his head slightly at her strange behavior. Belle scooted closer to the bars, so that she could talk easier. The man looked a little uncomfortable as she did so, and leaned away. Belle wondered why.

"I'm Belle. What's your name?" the man didn't answer, he just continued to stare at her as if he were studying either prey or a predator. Oddly enough, the stare didn't make her feel incredibly uncomfortable; she got the impression that this was how he always looked at people.

"Alright, if you don't want to tell me your name, will you tell me why you're here? This is the Queens castle right? I sort of got the impression that the Queen doesn't take prisoners that often." The man continued to stare at her, studying her. She waited a few minutes, but he didn't seem inclined to answer her question. Just when she thought that he wasn't going to say anything, he spoke.

"She wanted me to kill someone for her. I didn't. So now this is my cage." Belle was intrigued by his use of the word cage. There was something about this man, something that seemed off somehow. Her ever curios nature wanted to know what that something was.

"I think that's the real reason I'm here too. Well, I don't think I was supposed to kill him myself, just make him weak enough for her to kill him." Belle told the stranger. Another question stole into her mind.

"Why does she keep you here?" Belle asked, "If she was angry, why keep you around and not just kill you?" The man held her gaze for a moment before looking away, as if he was disgusted with himself.

Any further conversation was cut off by the sound of a door banging open, the click of shoes on stone and then the Queen as she came sauntering into the prison. Belle fought back a wave of fear at the sight of the evil woman. With a wave of her hand, the door to the man's cell lifted into the ceiling. He stood up and walked out, as if this was part of the normal routine. He didn't seem afraid or worried, and Belle didn't get the sense that it was because of bravado. He seemed resigned.

"What for me in my bed chambers, pet. I'll be up for you shortly." The Queen said. Understanding hit Belle, and a wave of revulsion passed through Belle, but the man hardly seemed phased. But he wouldn't meet her eye as he dutifully walked away. The Queen sneered at Belles obvious distress.

"I see you've met my Huntsman. It really is no wonder that I keep him around, he is quite the looker you have to agree." She paused, and she made a face as if she had smelled ad fruit. "Or maybe not. Maybe you prefer the freaks; you did fall in for Rumplestiltskin after all. I can't imagine one uglier than he." Belle bristled at the way that she talked about him, and this gave her courage. She remembered what she had said to Rumplestiltskin; do the brave thing, and bravery will follow.

"He is going to find out that you've taken me, sooner or later. It would be so much better for you if you just let me go now." The Queen laughed.

"He rejected you dear, he didn't want you. Why would a man who cast you out ever come looking for you?" she asked. Belle fought back that pain that came with those memories.

"Because no matter what else he is, or what he has done, he is nothing if not curios. Eventually, he will wonder what has happened to me, he will look for me and then he will find me. It will not be good for you if I am still here."

"My dear, I believe that you will find that I do not fear Rumplestiltskin."

"Yet you keep me alive." Belle shot back, making the Queen stop laughing. "If you truly didn't fear him, I would not be here. What is it you want of me? I know what you are getting from him," she gestured in the direction the man had left, "But the only thing you could possibly get from me is protection. When Rumplestiltskin finds out I'm here, I will be the only thing that stops him from turning this entire place into dust, and you know it."

Belle felt a stir of triumph as the Queen glared at her. She knew that she had struck a chord. It was Belle's turn to smile.

"Well, you got some things right, but the main point wrong, dear." The Queen snapped out after a pause. Belle frowned in confusion. "With you here, I have power over him." With that, she turned and stormed away.

Belle was alone for a long time. Eventually though, she heard the sounds of the distant door opening again. The man, the one the Queen called Huntsman, came walking in by himself. He stood and waited for the cell door to open, and then simply walked in when it did. To Belle, he looked even worse than before. He glanced over at her, and then quickly away.

Belle wondered what had happened to him to make him like this. Everyone had heard stories about the wild Huntsmen, the men who lived without borders or rulers. They lived wild and fearsome, killing what they would and going where they pleased. What had happened to this one to make him so lifeless? Belle understood why he had used the word cage to describe the prison.

After a several minutes of silence, the Huntsman spoke.

"I don't have a name." He said flatly, no emotion in his voice about the fact, or what she knew he just went through. Belle realized then that was part of the reason he was strange to her; he showed no emotion in either his voice or how he acted. How could a man be used for what he was, and then have no feeling about it afterwards? She had never met anyone quite so empty before.

"I am so sorry." Belle said.

"Why? He asked, sounding partially confused and resigned. She didn't want to mention any of the things she had just realized, so she settled on an easier answer.

"Everyone needs a name; if they don't, that's a part of themselves that is lost. Names have power." From the look on his face, she could tell that he had never thought about it before.

"The Queen calls you the Huntsman." He tensed, slightly. It wasn't very obvious, but she had just spent a lot of time living with the master of subtly. "I don't think I could call you that, it is rather awkward for a name." she thought for a moment. "How about I call you Hunter? Would that be alright?"

"Yeah." The man, Hunter, said slowly, mulling the name over in his head. He looked up at her then.

"Hello. I'm Hunter." He said, testing the name out for himself. He half smiled at the way that it sounded. Belle smiled at him; there was still something in him that the Queen hadn't taken. And if she was stuck here, she was going to help bring that part out.

"Hello Hunter. I'm Belle. And when I get out of here, I promise I'll get you out as well."

**AN: **Hoped you liked it. Reviews are love!


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Alright, so this is the longest chapter of the entire story. Enjoy!**

_Chapter 3_

It was easy to lose track of days and time in the castle, Belle only knew that it had been some time since she was first captured. She had gotten used to life here fairly easily, after the first initial weeks. After the first few weeks the Queen would come down into the dungeons every day; to gloat Belle guessed. Every once in a while she would take Hunter away, or his cell door would randomly open by himself and he would leave for a few hours, and then come back looking horrible. When he wasn't there, Belle tried not to think of Rumplestiltskin. The times that Hunter was there, they talked the hours away.

At first, it had been her that had done most of the talking. She had told him about her childhood, her father and her village. She told him about all the different books she had read, and how everyone used to tease her that they didn't recognize her without a book. She told him about Gaston, and how she had been engaged to him.

She told him about the ogre wars, and how they threatened her home; how desperate her father and Gaston had been to find a way to save the village. She had never told him anything about Rumplestiltskin at first. While she truly did believe that he would eventually rescue them, her memories of him caused to much pain, and she did not want the Queen to see, and use that pain. Also, she was worried that the Queen was listening in on their conversations somehow.

And no, she wasn't being paranoid, her concerns were perfectly justified. She knew how desperately the Queen wanted information about Rumplestiltskin. It had only been a few days into her captivity that knights had come and dragged her from her cell. She had looked to Hunter uselessly, but he couldn't do anything, and just looked at her helplessly.

She ended up in a room that had set her skin crawling, and instinctively tried to back out of it. The floor was stained with dried blood, and metal instruments hung on the wall, gleaming from good use. But more than that, the entire place had a concentrated aura of the Queens magic which acted like a poisonous fear. She didn't know how, but Belle knew that that magic had been used to hurt people. She was tied to wall, and then left there to wait.

"Be brave. Be brave." She repeated to herself as a mantra, trying to not show fear. She had almost been relived when clerics entered the room, and not the Queen.

They had demanded that she tell them all of Rumplestiltskins weaknesses, all of his plans, everything that she knew about him. She refused; there was nothing to tell really. They had brought out scourges. Her screams were not heard outside of the room.

When they dragged her back into her cell, she had stayed huddled on the floor, trying to control her shaking as the pain slowly faded away. This was when Hunter told her the first thing he had about his life. He told her how one time he had been in a tree that had been struck by lightning, and how the forest animals had shown him what plants to eat to ease the pain. Belle had a hard time concentrating on his words, but she tried to listen as carefully as possible. It was rare that Hunter talked at all, and had never before spoken of his life. And she knew that in his own strange way, he was trying to comfort her.

That became the pattern after that. The guards would come and take her, the clerics would torture her for information she didn't have, and when she returned Hunter talked to her about his life. Slowly, over time she learned that his parents had abandoned him in the woods as a baby. He had been raised by the wolves who had taught him how to live in their world. He had grown up secluded from others like him, and the first time he had seen another person it had been a hunter cruelly killing an animal. He had vowed from that day on that he was not going to be like that, so he stayed away from other people as much as possible.

"I saw that day what humans were like, and I didn't want anything to do with them." He said. Belle leaned against the bars between them, breathing deeply for the pain. It was odd, she was almost getting used to the torture now.

"Not everyone is like that you know. There are good people who do good things." She told him. He looked at her with what she had dubbed his 'hunter-look'; he was studying her, trying to figure her out. He looked at her like that a lot.

"I have only met two people in my entire life that have changed my opinion about your kind." He told her with a snort. Belle was intrigued.

"Who?"

"Well, not the Queen." He tried to joke. He really wasn't good at making jokes, but Belle always laughed anyways. "The girl she wanted me to kill, Snow White. She didn't deserve to die, which is why I didn't kill her." Belle was instantly curious' he had only mentioned Snow White in passing before, not going much beyond the fact that she was the person he was meant to kill.

"Why was she different?" Hunter sighed.

"She had a pure heart; and good instincts. She knew that I was going to kill her, and instead of running, or try to save her life, she wrote a letter forgiving the Queen. What kind of person can forgive the women who wants you dead?" Belle didn't have an answer; it did take a special kind of person.

"You said there were two people. Who was the second?" Belle asked. Hunter looked directly into her eyes.

"You." He said simply, stunning her into silence. "You are the strongest person I have ever met, Belle. You are being put through some of the worst pain imaginable, yet you never lose any of your hope. Here you are, probably in enough pain to scream, and you listening to me rant about humans!" he said in wonderment. "You're the strangest person I've ever met." This made Belle burst out laughing, which made Hunter look even more confused. "Yet you have a purity, a silent strength strong enough to face whatever comes at you. I have only ever seen something like that in animals."

Belle was shocked and touched by what he said, and didn't know what to say. She had never thought of herself like that before.

"I think you are what would be called, my best friend." Hunter said, sounding a little embarrassed. She smiled at him, feeling happy for the first time in too long.

"You're my best friend too." She told him.

After that, she was no longer afraid to tell him a little about Rumplestiltskin; she trusted him and knew that what she told him would not be getting to the Queen from him. She never went into much detail about her life in Dark Castle, knowing that the Queen could be listening in. But she told him how she had fallen in love with a beast who was not as horrible as people thought. She told him about how he had turned her away, and how much it had broken her heart.

"I don't understand." Hunter began after she told him about the last time she had seen Rumplestiltskin, "How can he have hurt you so much, yet you still believe without a doubt that he will save you?" Belle leaned her head against the wall, and tried to think of an answer to a question that had already occurred to her.

"I guess it is because I know him so well. I know he rejected me because of his own fear, but he is the type of person who wants to know everything. He's curious about everything in the world."

"Like you then." Hunter interrupted, and Belle mock glared at him, making him grin.

"So, eventually, he will want to know what happened to me, simply to satisfy his own curiosity." Though Belle knew that it would be for more than that; he would try to find her because no matter what he said, he did love her. But she couldn't risk the Queen hearing that.

"When he finds me trapped like this, with the Queen holding the key…" she broke off, trying to figure out how best to describe how she knew how he would react. "He is the most powerful person in the world, which also makes him the most dangerous. He doesn't like the Queen on good days, and knowing that she has imprisoned someone he car… knows, he will be filled with a rage that cannot be contained. So he will come, free us and then destroy the Queen." Belle didn't mind if the Queen heard that part.

There was silence between them for a few moments while Hunter absorbed what she said.

"Well, if you believe in him so much, I guess I can too." He said finally.

One day, when she was taken away to the room, it was different. She had become indifferent to the whole process now, and would bear the torture without breaking. But today, it wasn't the clerics who came, it was the Queen. Seeing the Queen be there filled her with a fear she hadn't felt since her first 'visit' to this room. Belle knew how powerful magic could be, how much damage it could do to a person. And somehow, she just knew that any magic the Queen used would be worse on her than what the Queen even intended; she had gotten so used to Rumplestiltskins magic that the just being near the Queens magic felt like ice in her veins. She couldn't imagine how it would feel when it was used to hurt her.

Do the brave thing, and bravery would follow. Belle tried to make the fear not show in her face.

"You're not being very cooperative, dear." The Queen said. "I didn't think that you would be this resilient to the clerics…methods. You should know I admire you for that; but I don't think you can resist mine."

"As I have told them, and you before, Rumplestiltskin does not have weaknesses, and he never told me any plans he may have. And if I did know anything, I would never tell you." Belle said.

The Queen smiled thinly. "I think you're lying." Slowly, she moved toward Belle and put her hand on Belle's chest over her heart. It felt like frost was creeping over her skin, simply from the Queens touch. She tensed as she felt the Queen draw on magic, and then she plunged her hand into Belles chest. The pain was incredible, too much even to scream.

"Rumplestiltskin is not as powerful as he would have everyone believe." The Queen said, enjoying the look of agony on her victim. "You were there for only a few months, and you became such a weakness for him that he had to cast you away. There must be more. Tell me!" she demanded as her hand moved to wrap around Belles heart, constricting its movements.

Do the brave thing, and bravery would follow.

"I don't know anything!" Belle hissed out.

"He let you closer than any other living soul! You must have noticed something!" the Queen yelled. Belles mind turned to the children's clothes she had found, but she forced herself not to say anything. She would not betray him.

"Go ahead and kill me. I am not telling you anything!" Belle forced out, calling on every last bit of her anger. "When I visit you in hell, let me know how Rumplestiltskin took that news." The Queens face hardened, and Belle thought for sure that this time she was dead.

Instead, the Queen pulled her hand out of her chest, not leaving a mark behind. Belle sagged against the ropes, her chest still burning though not as intensely as before The Queen stormed out, and the guards came and returned her to her cell.

She collapsed on the ground, hand firmly against her chest as if that would end some of the pain. Hunter saw the movement and forgot how to breath for a moment.

"What did they do to you?" he asked.

"The Queen…" she gasped out, hurting too much to say anything further. Hunter went incredibly pale, looking more frightened than Belle had ever seen him. She watched through a haze of pain as the fear turned to a terrifying anger.

"I am going to kill her." He growled, letting Belle see the much feared Huntsman underneath the layers of her friend. "I don't care if I die. I won't let her do it to you!" he began to pace the room, hands in tight fists at his sides. Belle pulled herself to the bars.

"Hunter what are you talking about? I'm fine. Look at me, I am fine. It's over now!" She tried to get him to see her, but he ignored her. He had to stop talking like that or the Queen would kill him; if she thought for even a moment that she could no longer control him, he would die. And Belle could not lose him; not now and not ever.

"Hunter, look at me!" she commanded, and he finally did. She fought the compulsion to flinch, she had never seen him look murderous before.

"I am fine, see?" She told him, desperation in her voice. "The pain will pass, and I will be alright, just like always." He blinked, some of his rage replaced with confusion.

"She didn't take it?" Belle had no idea what he was talking about. "Your heart, Belle!" he snapped, making her jump. "She didn't take it, you still have it?" he had grabbed the bars as he had yelled.

"No, she didn't take it." She told him, and he sagged in relief against the grid. Belle didn't understand why he was acting like this. A possible explanation came into her mind as she looked at him.

"Is that what she did to you?" she asked, and was horrified as he nodded. Hate and anger filled her, drowning out the pain in her chest. What kind of person could take a man's heart and yet leave him alive? How could the Queen be that cruel?

"It was my punishment for not killing Snow White; she demanded a heart, and she was going to have one." Hunter explained his voice almost too quite to hear. "Because of it, I can't feel anything. If I ever disobey her, she will crush my heart, and kill me."

With that one sentence, everything about him clicked in Belles mind. This was the reason that he never spoke with emotion, why he never objected when the Queen came to collect him and why he never tried to resist or get free. She felt her own heart break for him; she couldn't imagine what it was like for him, a man raised in the most free way possible, to be trapped like this.

She passed her hand through the bars and put it on his shoulder. It was a poor excuse for comfort, but it was all she could do.

"When we get free, I promise you that we will find your heart and restore it to you. You will be whole again." She whispered to him. She had never hated the Queen more than she did at this moment.

That day was the last time that Belle was taken to be tortured.

**AN: **So what did you think? Did I get too far out of character? Leave reviews and tell me what you though!


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews, glad you guys are liking the story. So, there is a lot more of the Queen in this story. Let me know what you think. Cheers!**

_Chapter 4_

"Alright, now try doing it again, but like I showed you." Hunter instructed Belle, who was trying to walk across the straw covered floor of her cell without making any noise. This had come out of his casual mention of being to walk almost silently in the forest, and Belle had been curious about how he did it. Her first attempt had left Hunter gasping for breath because he had laughed so hard. She glared at him and said that she wasn't even going to try if all he did was laugh at her. When he had composed himself, he apologized and told her how to improve.

It was now a few hours later, and Belle was surprised that Hunter had the patience to make her do it again when she almost wanted to give it up as a lost cause. But she carried on and walked across the room again, carefully planting each foot in front of the other. When she was at the opposite end, she looked to Hunter ready for more advice.

"That wasn't that bad. Not perfect yet, but much better." Belle smiled at the compliment.

"Does that mean I can stop now?" she asked. Hunter rolled his eyes, but nodded all the same. Gratefully, she sank to the floor.

"Of course, there is only so much that you can do in here. I could teach you much better if we were in the woods." He said, his voice taking on that slightly wistful note it did whenever he talked about the woods these days. This was just one of the changes in him that Belle had noticed, and it gave her hope that he wasn't truly beyond feeling.

"Well, when we get out of here, you can teach me properly." She said brightly. It had been a long time since she was imprisoned, yet Belle never gave up hope that Rumplestiltskin was coming to the rescue. And because Belle believed, Hunter could too. But her comment gave him an opening to ask a question that had been bothering him for some time.

"What happens after he comes, Belle?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused by his question.

"When he comes and sets us free, what are you going to do?" Belle thought about it for a minute; truthfully, she had tried to not think about what would happen after they were rescued, but she guessed it was about time that she did.

"I don't know. I guess that will depend on what you want to do." Hunter look shocked.

"Me? You're going to stay with me?" Belle laughed at his confused expression.

"You are my best friend, silly. I wouldn't just leave you all alone; I'll help you understand people more, and you can show me all the things you've talked about that are in the forest." Hunter looked out his window into the distance as he thought about it.

"I never thought I would ever want to be around people, but that doesn't sound too bad." He said after a while. "But what if he wants you back after he rescues you?" Belle swallowed a lump in her throat; she never let herself think of that possibility.

"I don't think that's going to happen, Hunter." She said quietly.

"But what if it does?" he insisted, one of his more annoying traits was to never let something go if he really cared about it. Belle thought about it for a few minutes before she answered.

"I don't know. I think that I still want to travel and see the world. I couldn't go back and live trapped in the Dark Castle, not after all of this. And he would have to convince me that he loves me enough to overcome his fears."

"If he could, would you go back to him?" Hunter questioned. Belle didn't even have to think about it.

"Yes." She saw Hunters confused look and elaborated. "Even after all the pain he caused me, I still love him and I always will. And if he could let himself love me back, there is nothing that would stop me from living the rest of my life with him. Do you understand?"

"Not at all. But I guess that comes from not understanding love." He said a hint of melancholy in his voice. While he had never spent that much time around people, or knew anything about love, he was a person in this world. And like everyone in this world, he longed for true love even if he didn't realize it.

"I hope one day that you will." Belle said, making him smile softly.

"Well, isn't this sweet." A sarcastic voice said, making them both jump as neither one of them had noticed the Queens arrival. Belle silently chastised herself, she knew that Queen would be coming and she really hated to let the Queen unsettle her.

After the weeks of torture, the Queen began to come down to the cells every day. At first, Belle had been terrified that she was going to do something to them, but she had quickly realized that the visits were primarily for gloating purposes. At least, that was how it was at the start, but now they seemed a little odd.

"Huntsman, go to my quarters. I will be there shortly." She said as she used magic to lift his cell doors. This was part of the usual pattern; she would dismiss him, stay down for a while talking at Belle, and then leave. At first the Queen would only say things like how pathetic Belle was, and that Rumplestiltskin wasn't coming to the rescue. But over time, it started to change to much wider concerns, such as what Snow White was doing or the problems with neighbouring kingdoms. Belle really didn't know why the Queen talked to her about the things she did.

"Still are clinging to that foolish hope of yours I see." She said, sneering. Belle smiled sweetly.

"Of course I am. Why would I give it up when I have such a pleasant time imaging all the different ways that he could kill you?" Belle said in a sickly sweet voice. The Queen glared at her, but there wasn't much venom behind it anymore. Belle has realized a while ago just how far she could push the Queen before she would break. She could push for a long ways, and the Queen seemed to almost enjoy having someone defy her on a daily basis.

"Speaking about pleasant ways to kill someone, I do believe that I have found a way to get rid of Snow White once and for all." The Queen said, smiling. Belle rolled her eyes.

"Regina that is what you said about the last dozen ideas." Belle refused to call the Queen any of her assorted titles, as she had learned that not using them irritated her majesty greatly.

"If I had had that many ideas that little flake of Snow would be dead a dozen times over. No, this will work." Before she could continue, Belle interrupted her. She didn't feel like playing the Queens game today.

"Why on earth are you telling me this? Why do you tell me anything that you do?" she half yelled, fed up with her questions going unasked. "There is no reason to tell _me_ all of these things; it really doesn't mean much of anything to me as I am _trapped _in your dungeons! So why do you come down day after day and blather on and on about what it happening in your life?"

The Queen seemed to be taken back by Belles outburst. She seemed to be at a loss for words, which was a first in Belles experience. Honestly, the way that the Queen talked to her was if she thought she was her…

"No." Belle said as it clicked in her head, a laugh in her voice. "No way is that possible. You come and talk to me because you have no one else to talk to?" The Queens silence confirmed the idea, and Belles smile grew in disbelief. She got up and walked over to the door of her cell.

"How alone you must be that you have convinced yourself that your prisoner is your friend. How can you possibly think that we are friends? I hate everything about you. You have kept me captive; you tortured me! I am not your friend, Regina, and there is no way that I ever could be." Belle shook her head in disgust, ignoring the tiny sliver of pity she felt for the woman. "You are truly pathetic."

Something dangerous flashed in the Queens eyes, and with a wave of her hand, Belle found herself pulled to the cell bars with bone cracking force. The Queen took a step forward and grabbed her by the chin. In her eyes, Belle saw anger as well as real pain which shocked her.

"I am not the one who is pathetic, Belle. I am not the one putting my faith in a monster. When you truly love someone, you would do anything to keep them with you, not send them away. He does not love you. He is not going to come save you." She spat.

"Yes he is." Belle said simply and defiantly even though it felt like her lungs were being crushed. The Queen looked like she was barely in control of her anger. She released Belles chin with a snap and stormed out of the dungeons. It was only after she was out of sight that the magic holding Belle to the bars loosened and she fell to the floor gasping for breath.

The Queen was in a rage as she stormed up the stairs of her castle. Her anger stemmed from Belles continued defiance and insolence, but also from the fact that the girl was right. The Queen really had started to treat the younger woman as a friend.

When she got to her chambers, she was surprised to see the Huntsman there, as she had forgotten that she had sent for him.

"Get out!" she screamed at him. He looked stunned, but quickly fled the room. She couldn't stand to look at him right now, as it reminded her that this man, her lover, was closer to the daydreaming fool in the dungeon that he would ever be to her. She refused to acknowledge that it hurt.

Not for the first time, the Queen wondered if Belle possessed some sort of magic that made everyone like he. Because even with all the rage that she felt at the moment, the Queen couldn't help but have a grudging admiration of the young woman's spirit and strength, and that's why she had started to treat her prisoner as a friend. If Belle were only on her side, she would make an excellent ally.. Sometime, the Queen allowed herself to think that if her life had turned out differently, if it hadn't been ruined by Snow White, they could have even been friends. The Queen admired how Belle never once wavered from her belief that Rumplestiltskin would come and set her free, as disgusted as she was by the fact that anyone could love that _thing_.

And though she did admire it, that constant optimism and hope was getting tiresome. And it didn't help that it was true that she feared Rumplestiltskin discovering that Belle was her prisoner. While she had never seen him truly angry before, she knew better than most how much more dangerous a person was with magic. She needed a way to take care of them both, but she couldn't kill the girl, she was her only leverage against the most powerful man in the world. And if that leverage was to disappear, there would be no stopping Rumplestiltskin's rage.

The Queen stopped in the middle of her room, an idea blossoming in her mind, and she slowly smiled. She had just thought of the perfect way to make sure the Rumplestiltskin never looked for Belle, as well as a way to crush the girl's foolish heart.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: **Thanks for all the hits, alerts, reviews etc. You guys are really great. So here it is, chapter 5, and Regina's plan will be put into practice. Enjoy!

_Chapter 5_

Neither Hunter nor Belle had seen the Queen for several weeks now, and they were both a little worried about it. After the Queen had dismissed him from her chambers, Hunter had come back into the dungeons to find Belle lying on the floor gasping for breath while clutching her chest. He started to panic again like he had after the Queen had tortured her, but Belle quickly told him what had happened.

He really did not understand this girl at all, even after all this time. He thought it was foolish to bait the Queen like she always did, and he had told her so. Belle had just laughed, and repeated something she often said.

"Do the brave thing, and bravery will follow."

"More like foolishness." He had shot back, which had only made her laugh which had resulted in her coughing in pain.

It was now weeks later, and Hunter was thinking back about all the crazy antics of this woman who had become his best friend. He figured that if all people were like her, he would never truly understand humans, but he might just like them anyways.

"What are you thinking about?" Belle's voice broke into his internal dialogue. He grinned at her ever curious nature.

"I'm thinking that I chose a person with a death wish to be my best friend." He said. Belle huffed in mock indignation and stuck her tongue out at him. Hunter stuck his out right back at her, which made them both laugh. Hunter laid down on his stomach, resting his head on his hands.

"What do you think she's up to?" he asked the question that had been weighing heavily on both their minds.

"Probably thinking of a particularly horrible way to kill Snow White, or me." Belle said dismissively as if she didn't really care. Hunter knew her good enough to see through her mask. His eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"You're really worried that you pushed her to far this time, aren't you?" Belle sighed, but nodded all the same. "Don't you think that if she was going to do something to you, she would have done it by now?"

"Not unless she has some incredibly horrible idea about how to really hurt me first." She said. The idea that the Queen had taken weeks to create some new terror for his friend did nothing to calm Hunter's concerns. But there was nothing he could do, which only made him feel even more caged and angry. All he could do was hope, like Belle had taught him.

"Maybe we will be rescued before she does whatever she is planning." He said, making Belle smile that sad wistful smile she always did whenever they talked about rescue.

Hunter was pretty sure that Belle was unaware of it, but every once and a while, she would completely lose focus on what was in front of her and Hunter knew she was thinking and remembering. She would just stare blankly at the cell wall, but her eyes told him that she was miles away in some other place. Over time, he had gotten good at being able to tell what she was thinking about.

If her eyes held wistfulness, happy memories and only a little sadness, she was thinking of her home and family. When her eyes were full of pain but still held a small corner of bitter happiness, he knew that she was thinking of her lost love. This is where her thoughts were right now.

It was funny, but Belle had never actually said what his name was. Hunter always found this a little bit amusing as she had made such a big deal about names when they had first met. He figured that she forgot that she had never actually spoken the man's name to him. But he figured that no matter who he was, no matter how powerful, this man deserved to be decked at least once for the pain he had cause Belle.

Silence lapsed between them, and time passed.

Belle was broken out of her musings by the sound of the dungeon doors opening and the sharp click of high heeled shoes on stone. So, the Queen was coming down at long last. Belle stood to face whatever the woman would throw at her.

The Queen sauntered into the dungeon positively beaming with glee. This immediately made Belle uneasy and she glanced over at Hunter, who returned her worried look.

"How are you, dear? It has been too long since I last saw you." The Queen said, voice dripping sweetness like venom. Belle's eyes narrowed.

"What do you want?" she asked. The Queen ignored her and just smiled widely.

"I have had a very good day. I took a little trip to see out mutual friend, if you were wondering where I was." She said. Belle swallowed; she had went to go see Rumplestiltskin, which could not be a good thing. But she kept up her brave face.

"Decided to do the smart thing and release us, did you? Or are you still waiting for him to storm the castle and kill you?" the Queens smile grew wider while her eyes glinted evilly.

"My dear, I'm afraid dead men don't come to the rescue."

It seemed like the air in Belle's lungs had frozen and she had forgotten how to breath. Hunter's head snapped over to look at her. No, Belle thought, there was no way that the Queen had killed Rumplestiltskin.

"What?" she asked, her voice strained even though she willed it to be strong. The Queen grabbed hold of the bars, leaning closer to Belle.

"He's dead." She told her, laughing softly at the distress she was causing. Belle couldn't move, couldn't think. It couldn't be possible.

"No. There is no way that you could kill him." She said, desperate to believe it. The Queen leaned further in to make her next sentence hit even harder.

"Your quite right dear, I didn't. You did." Belles head snapped up. She would not believe what the Queen was saying, even though her heart felt like it was dying.

"That's not possible. There is no way that I would…" her voice faltered as she thought about how the kiss, and how it had momentarily made him a man again. "No, it didn't work. The kiss didn't work, he change back to how he was." The Queen faked a look of sympathy.

"Don't you know that true love is the most powerful magic there is? Something like that cannot simply just leave a person. It may have seemed like it didn't work, but it remained deep within him. It ate way at his power like a poison, until there was nothing left but a sniveling coward."

Belle was breathing heavily. She didn't want to believe it, she couldn't. Yet she did all the same. He was dead, and it was her fault. She turned her grief into anger against the Queen.

"And then you killed him." She spat. The Queen laughed.

"Alas no, I did not have the pleasure. I learned through my mirrors that he was stripped of his powers, and of course made my way to his castle. But I arrive too late, another group beat me there; a small war party, led by two men, Sir Maurice and Sir Gaston." The Queen reveled in the look of horror in Belle's face.

"They wouldn't…" Belle began, but the Queen cut her off.

"Apparently, they had come to rescue a certain daughter and fiancé. Well needless to say that they couldn't find her, and when the man who was the beast couldn't tell them where she was, they killed him in their rage."

Belle was trembling with emotion, but she remained standing. Her heart was breaking and there was nothing she could do to stop it. While she knew that her family had done what they did to try and protect her, it didn't dull the sick feeling she got when thinking about it.

"You're lying." Hunter spat out, but Belle hardly noticed him. The Queen heads turned to look at him in disgust.

"Am I?" she asked, cocking her eyebrow. What frightened Hunter was that he couldn't tell if she was or not.

"So do it." Belle's voice quietly interrupted their staring match. The Queen loved the despair in the girl's voice. "If I am no longer needed as leverage, just kill me already. There is no reason to keep me around." She said, and the Queen knew that Belle meant it; she knew what it was like for your heart to be destroyed.

"And end your suffering? Believe me I know this pain you are feeling is worse than anything I could ever do to you. You were waiting for me to do something horrible to you? I am; I've leaving you alive." With one last smirk, she left the dungeon.

As soon as she was gone, Belles legs gave out and she crumpled to the ground. She hugged her knees to her chest, not bothering to try and control her shaking.

She thought she had known heartbreak when Rumplestiltskin had tossed her out, but it was nothing compared to this. It felt like all light and warmth was slowly fading from the world and that her heart felt like it couldn't beat against the darkness. All she could think was that her family, he father, had killed the man she loved. And she had created the opportunity for it to happen. What was worse was that she was powerless to do anything. Belle began to cry, and she made no attempt to stop herself this time.

"It's my fault, it's my fault." She repeated over and over until her sobs left her unable to speak. She was slightly aware that Hunter had laid his hand on her shoulder although it felt unreal; but it no longer mattered to her if anything felt real ever again.

**AN: **So how 'bout them apples, huh? Here's a little question for anyone who cares to answer; what should Mr. Gold's first name be?


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: **Thanks again for all the reviews and such, you guys really make my day. Alright so here it is; the FINAL chapter!

_Chapter 6_

Time passed. How much time, Belle couldn't say. It might have been months, or it could have been years. All she felt was pain. It was her fault, all her fault. She tried to convince herself that it was the Queens fault for tricking her into kissing Rumplestiltskin in the first place, but she could never fully believe it.

Hunter had tried talking to her at first, but she couldn't understand anything he said. Eventually, he stopped trying and this made Belle feel even worse. She had given him false hope, and now wasn't there to help him deal with it. But not matter what she felt she couldn't force herself to do anything about it. It was if all life had left her, and all that remained was the shell of who she used to be.

She no longer had any hope, not for escape or for life. If she did get out, what then? The man she loved was dead, and her father had been the one to do it, so she could never go home. She tried not to blame him; she knew that her father hadn't known what Rumplestiltskin meant to her. To him, all he was was a beast that had stolen his daughter away. Even though she tried not to be angry, she knew that she could never look at her father the same way again.

Over time, she became aware of a nagging feeling that was tugging at her mind, as if it was determined to break through the fog and get her to notice. Slowly, she was able to focus on this sensation and drag herself away from the cliff that she had fallen over.

She forced herself to sit up, which was the most movement she had done in ages. Her stiff muscles protested, but she ignored them. Her movements attracted Hunters attention, and he moved to stand beside the bars that separated their cells.

She realized that it wasn't something she was feeling, it was something that she wasn't. The presence of the Queens magic was almost gone; it was still there slightly, but not nearly as much as it used to be. For an unknown reason, this made Belle very nervous.

"Belle?' Hunter spoke softly as if he were talking to a wounded animal. Belle ignored his implied question.

"What has happened?" she asked, her voice hoarse and broken from long periods of disuse and crying. Hunter seemed to be relieved a little that she had asked a question.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Belle tried to control the panic that was rising in her.

"The Queen. Where is the Queen? What is she doing?" Hunters face darkened.

"Snow White won. She married her prince, and the Queen was furious. She kept saying how she was still going to make her, and everyone else pay, but she didn't tell me how. She's been gone for weeks now." He said.

"Something's not right. Her magic is gone, drawn away as if for something bigger." Belle muttered, more to herself than to Hunter. He looked worried about her mutterings.

"Belle, are you alright? You haven't moved or said anything for too long." He asked. His simple reminder broke through the distraction that the magic had given her, and she almost felt like letting the grief sweep her away again. But she noticed the look on his face and pulled herself together, even if only for long enough to give him some answers.

"No I'm not." She said. His eyebrows knitted together in concern and he leaned harder against the bars as if he could get closer that way.

"What can I do? There has to be something that I can do!" he said, and Belle wanted to smile at her friends concern but she couldn't.

"Not unless you can bring back the dead and kill the Queen." She said sadly, tears rolling down her cheeks. He looked at her helplessly, desperate to do something to ease her pain. After a few minutes, he spoke softly.

"You know, you never told me his name." Belle looked up at him in surprise. "Would it help if you talked about him?" She didn't know if talking would help, but maybe getting her pain into the open would loosen its grasp on her heart a little. She opened her mouth to speak, but chocked on the words. She swallowed and tried a second time.

"His name was Rumplestiltskin." Hunters head jerked back in surprise and his eyes narrowed. He glanced around his cell before looking back at her.

"Rumplestiltskin? But the Queen said that he was…" he began but then cut off abruptly. Belle didn't mind, she didn't care to hear what the Queen said of him. She glanced up at Hunter, but found that he was looking out his window rather than at her. She followed his gaze out the window to see a storm of black clouds rolling unnaturally fast across the land.

An unnatural fear and panic set into Belles mind, making her heart beat fast. Even from this distance, she could feel the Queens magic at work in the clouds, and she knew that whatever it was, it was not going to be good.

"What is that?" Hunter asked, still looking at them.

"Hunter, get away! Get back!" she yelled, even though she knew that just standing away from the windows wasn't going to have much effect. He looked at her in confusion before the clouds hit them, spilling into the rooms like water and enveloping them.

Hunter seemed to be frozen in the blackness, his unseeing eyes wide with terror. Around them, the walls of the castle began to crumble away as if sucked into a great abyss. To Belles surprise, she found that she wasn't frozen and could see everything happening around her. The dark power of the Queen wrapped around her trying to get into her mind, but it couldn't because it was blocked by another magic, one that underlay the Queens.

It was Rumplestiltskins magic, Belle would recognize it anywhere. It was faint and not as powerful as the Queens, but it was as if were the threads holding the curse together. The tendrils of his magic wrapped around her, securing her from the Queens magic as well as filling her mind with knowledge that wasn't her own. She knew the purpose of this curse; it was meant to take everyone from their world and place them in a horrible place that stripped them from their happy endings, with only the Queen remembering. Where they were going, time itself would hold them captive.

Belle was powerless to do anything as she watched the world and her friend dissolve around her into blackness.

**AN: **So how was that for the last chapter, huh?

_Oh, did I not mention there would be an epilogue?_


	7. Epilouge

**AN: **The epilogue for Imprisonment. Thanks for all the lovely reviews, story alerts, traffic etc. you guys are the best. Enjoy!

_Epilogue_

The curse had been fast and effective. The darkness had lasted only a little while before the world had reshaped itself around Belle. Instead of the dungeon cell she was used to, she was now in a completely different place. The walls were white and padded and a small bed was set up next to the wall. A gird was over a small window that was her only source of light. Instead of her normal clothes, she was now in some strange smock. A hospital gown for a mental ward, her mind supplied.

The worse part though was that the moment this new world had come into existence, Rumplestiltskins magic, which had been surrounding her like a comforting cloak, vanished. Its abrupt disappearance left Belle feeling like something precious had been ripped from her again. It made her teeter on the edge of depression once again. But because of the curse, she couldn't, and neither could she fully regain her mind.

Time passed, though Belle couldn't say how much or in what way. It was the same routine day after day, yet it felt like she was living in some sort of dream state. Her mind was constantly clouded over, and she couldn't concentrate on a single thought for very long. She knew that it was the curse, but she couldn't make her mind concentrate enough to care about it, let alone fight it. She felt like she was in permanent danger of going mad.

One day, something changed. It seemed as if the air itself shifted, and the magic that had been bogging down on Belle lifted slightly. She took a deep breath as if she hadn't truly breathed for years, and some of the fog lifted from her mind. Something was different, she didn't know what, but she could feel the power of the curse loosen its grip a little.

The cloudiness in her mind stayed there, but it was as if it was no longer as thick. She began to be able to distinguish between days, and know the routine that was her life her. Sometimes, she was afraid that she was going mad, because she thought she occasionally heard fragments of _his _voice, though it was faint and sounded different somehow.

The real change came the day that wasn't like any other days. Belle heard an unfamiliar pair of feet walking the halls to her cell, and then the metal hatch in her doorway opened. Belle forced herself to look up, and anger coursed red hot through her veins. It was the Queen, and she was smirking at her as if she had some great secret.

The anger burned through her, though she didn't let the Queen see it. This was her secret, her weapon. Belle could remember everything, and she was sure the Queen had not expected that. Now the anger burned clear the rest of the fog in her mind, and for the first time, her mind could work perfectly again.

And it had only one thought. Escape.

**AN: **_So in case you couldn't tell from that ending, there will be a sequel to this story. I'm not sure when I'll start posting it though, because it isn't even half-way written yet. I a busy with work right now, but I should find lots of time to write. I hope I get it done before the end of the month, because I will be leaving the country for a while and don't know if or when I could post. But I will tell you that the sequel is already a lot longer than this one. If you want to be involved with it, tell me what you think Mr. Gold's first name should be. Reviews are great!_


	8. Authors Note

Authors Note:

The Sequel to this story, Layered, is now being uploaded for all those who are interested. Thanks,

Captain Ryder


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